Integral

university
Name : Prafull Shukla
Year: 1st year 1st semester
Enrolment number: 2100101706
Subject code: HP 103

Topic-
Non cooperation and khilafat
movement- causes, objectives
and impact
 Non cooperation movement
The Non-cooperation Movement was launched on 5th
September 1920 by the Indian National Congress (INC) under
the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. In September 1920, in
Congress session in Calcutta, the party introduced the Non-
Cooperation programme. The period of the non-cooperation
movement is taken as September 1920 to February 1922. It
signified a new chapter in the history of the Indian freedom
struggle.
The Non-Cooperation Movement was launched in the wake of
a series of events including the Jallianwala Bagh
Massacre and was called off because of Chauri Chaura
incident of 1922.
Mahatma Gandhi was the main force behind the non-
cooperation movement. In March 1920, he issued a manifesto
declaring a doctrine of the non-violent non-cooperation
movement. Gandhi, through this manifesto, wanted people to:
1. Adopt swadeshi principles
2. Adopt swadeshi habits including hand spinning &
weaving
3. Work for the eradication of untouchability from society
Gandhi travelled across the nation in 1921 explaining the
tenets of the movement.
Causes of non cooperation movement
 Resentment at the British after the war: Indians
thought that in return for the extensive support of
manpower and resources they had provided to Britain
during the First World War, they would be rewarded by
autonomy at the end of the war. But the Government of
India Act 1919 was dissatisfactory. In addition, the
British also passed repressive acts like the Rowlatt Act
which further angered many Indians who felt betrayed by
the rulers despite their wartime support.
 Home Rule Movement: The Home Rule
Movement started by Annie Besant and Bal Gangadhar
Tilak set the stage for the non-cooperation movement.
The extremists and the moderates of the INC were united
and the Lucknow Pact also saw solidarity between the
Muslim League and the Congress Party. The return of the
extremists gave the INC a militant character.
 Economic hardships due to World War I: India’s
participation in the war caused a lot of economic
hardships to the people. Prices of goods began to soar
which affected the common man. Peasants also suffered
because the prices of agricultural products did not
increase. All this led to resentment against the
government.
 The Rowlatt Act and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre: The
repressive Rowlatt Act and the brutal massacre at
Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar had a profound effect on the
Indian leaders and the people. Their faith in the British
system of justice was broken and the whole country
rallied behind its leaders who were pitching for a more
aggressive and firm stance against the government.
 The Khilafat Movement: During the First World War,
Turkey, which was one of the Central Powers, had
fought against the British. After Turkey’s defeat, the
Ottoman caliphate was proposed to be dissolved.
Muslims regarded Sultan of Turkey as their Caliph
(religious head of the Muslims). The Khilafat movement
was launched under the leadership of  Ali Brothers
(Maulana Mohammed Ali and Maulana Shaukat Ali),
Maulana Azad, Hakim Ajmal Khan, and Hasrat Mohani.
It got the support from Mahatma Gandhi to persuade the
British government not to abolish the caliphate. The
leaders of this movement accepted the non-cooperation
movement of Gandhiji and led a joint protest against the
British.
Why was the Non-Cooperation Movement
suspended?

 Gandhiji called off the movement in February 1922 in

the wake of the Chauri Chaura incident.
 In Chauri Chaura, Uttar Pradesh, a violent mob set fire to
a police station killing 22 policemen during a clash
between the police and protesters of the movement.
 Gandhiji called off the movement saying people were not
ready for revolt against the government through ahimsa.
Several leaders like Motilal Nehru and C R Das were
against the suspension of the movement only due to
sporadic incidents of violence.
How did the people respond to the Non-
Cooperation Movement?

The great leaders who were supporting the movement were

given complete cooperation by people belonging to different
sections of the country:

 The businessmen supported the movement as the

nationalist movement on the use of Swadeshi had proven
to be beneficial for them
 Peasants and the middle class got an opportunity to show
their unacceptance of British rule by being a part of the
movement
 Women too actively participated in the movement and
actively protested
 Plantation workers who were not allowed to leave the tea
gardens left the plantation fields in support of the
Gandhian movement
 A lot of people also surrendered their titles and honours
given by the British government
 People had started boycotting civil services, courts,
schools and colleges run by the British government
 Impact of non cooperation movement

(i) It acquired a mass base with the participation of different

sections of Indian society such as peasants, workers, students,
teachers & women.
(ii) It generated a desire for freedom & inspired people to
challenge the colonial rule.
(iii) The Congress became the organiser & leader of the
masses in their national struggle.
(iv) It fostered Hindu-Muslim unity which could be seen in
the merger of the Khilafat issue with this movement.
(v) Several steps were taken in the direction of prohibition &
removal of untouchability. Many national schools & colleges
were set up in different parts of the country.
(vi) The movement gave a boost to nationalism in India. The
Congress organisation was able to reach down to villages.
(vii) The Congress popularised the cult of Swaraj.
 
 Khilafat movement

Khilafat movement was initiated under the leadership of

the two Ali brothers, namely Mohammed Ali and
Shaukat Ali-Maulana Azad, Hakim Ajmal Khan and
Hasrat Mohani. The action was started to support the
Sultan of Turkey, whom The Muslim population in
India considered their religious head.
The Khilafat movement or the Caliphate movement,
also known as the Indian Muslim movement (1919–24),
was a pan-Islamist political protest campaign launched
by Muslims of British India led by Shaukat Ali,
Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar, Hakim Ajmal Khan,
and Abul Kalam Azad to restore the caliph of the
Ottoman Caliphate, who was considered the leader of
the Muslims, as an effective political authority. It was a
protest against the sanctions placed on the caliph and
the Ottoman Empire after the First World War by the
Treaty of Sèvrves. The movement collapsed by late
1922 when Turkey gained a more favourable diplomatic
position and moved towards Nationalism. By 1924,
Turkey had simply abolished the role of caliph.
Objectives of Khilafat movement
• The main objective of the Khilafat movement was to
force the British government change its attitude towards
Turkey and restore the Khalifa to his former position.
• Turkey was defeated in the First World War and the
harsh terms of the Treaty of Sevres (1920) was felt by the
Muslims as a great insult to them.
• The Muslims in India were upset over the British attitude
against Turkey and launched the Khilafat Movement which
was jointly led by the Khilafat leaders and the Congress.
• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, M.A. Ansari, Saifuddin
Kitchlew and the Ali brothers were the prominent leaders of
this movement.
• In November 1919, a joint conference of the Hindus and
the Muslims held under the chairmanship of Mahatma
Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi was particularly interested in
bringing the Hindus and the Muslims together to achieve the
country’s independence.
• In February 1920, Gandhiji suggested to Khilafat
Committee that it adopt a programme of nonviolent non-
cooperation to protest the Government’s behavior.
• On 9 June, 1920 the Khilafat Committee at Allahabad
unanimously accepted the suggestion of non-cooperation and
asked Gandhiji to lead the movement.
 Impact
 The Khilafat Non-Cooperation Movement started on
August 31 1921.
 People started to resign from government services.
 The necessities like buying and selling of goods, schools
were put on hold.
 The Khilafat Movement and the Congress Non-
Cooperation Movement merged into one nationwide
movement by the year-end of 1920.
 In 1921, the Khilafat Committee noted that all Muslims
are asking not to join the police and armed forces and not
pay taxes.
 This outraged the government and the popular Ali
brothers were arrested on charges of sedition.
 The Khilafat and the Congress volunteer engaged in this
program were declared illegal.
 Unfortunately, the whole movement was abruptly called
off on February 12, 1922, at Gandhiji’s insistence,
proceeding with the news of the Chauri Chaura incident.